Uncomplicated
by enthusiasmgirl
Summary: "Our mutual friend?" Claire said. "I wish things could've been different between us. He's a very complicated man... and that, I don't need." Post-Nelson and Murdock being finished, Foggy's life is blessedly uncomplicated, for once.


Foggy expected to be angrier. Or sadder. It was a little disturbing to him, how okay he was with everything.

The last time he had walked away from Matt and thought it could be forever, it had been with tears streaming down his face and drained of all emotion only because he had nothing left to feel. But this time... this time as he walked down the small stairwell with the box tucked under one arm, out of their office, past their sign and away from Matt... this time he felt like a weight had lifted off of his shoulders. He felt free.

That was wrong. Wasn't it? Matt was his best friend. Matt meant everything to him.

But did he mean everything to Matt? Had he ever?

Before, the very idea of considering that question had nearly broken him. Now, he knew that the answer was no. And he was ready to move on.

Only maybe he didn't have to do it alone.

Back in his apartment, he dumped his boxes on the counter and pulled out his phone. He stared at a number, only recently provided to him for emergencies, his finger hovering over the Call button indecisively. Finally, he tapped it.

"You didn't get enough of me at the hospital?" Claire asked when she picked up. "How's the arm?"

"Healing," Foggy told her. "Thanks to you."

"I didn't have much to do with it," Claire responded. "In case you didn't notice, I had my hands kinda full while you were there."

"Yeah, I saw," Foggy said. "Ninjas. That's a new one. But somehow an extra JELLO still made it's way onto my dinner cart. And you know, call it the placebo effect but it made me feel a lot better. Like I was never even shot."

"I wouldn't know anything about that," Claire said.

"Of course not," Foggy replied. "Heard you quit."

He heard a sigh on the other end of the line. "Just didn't like the bureaucracy."

"I feel that. My entire life is helping people through paperwork. Somehow I thought stepping out on my own would make it easier."

"Did it?" Claire asked him, curious.

Foggy laughed bitterly. "Well, I'm going back to working for the man so I guess I have to count it as a failed experiment."

He meant is as a joke, but she didn't laugh. "So I guess you and our mutual friend couldn't work it out, huh?"

"Nope," Foggy confessed. "No more Nelson and Murdock."

"You're not just talking about the law firm, are you," she said, not phrasing it as a question.

"No," Foggy said seriously. "I don't think that I am."

There was silence on the line for a moment.

"Is this the part of the conversation where you remind me that he needs me? And that I'm being a shitty friend by walking away?" Foggy asked finally.

"I'd be a hypocrite if I did," Claire said. "Everybody has a right to stay sane. And you deserve better."

"Yeah," Foggy said, psyching himself up and trying to smile. "You're right! We both do!"

"Absolutely," Claire said. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I'm gonna take a good job at a high paying law firm and be a normal lawyer. One who takes normal cases and does normal things and doesn't end up shot. What about you?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well, I know that you said you don't need complicated..." Foggy said.

"I don't," Claire told him.

"But, as you heard, my life just got very uncomplicated," he reminded her.

"It sounds that way," she stated.

"So I was thinking that maybe we could be uncomplicated together. At a time and place to be determined. Somewhere with no gang violence, or bleeding wounds, or hospital scrubs as a legitimate clothing option. What do you say?"

"I say..." She considered the offer for a minute. "... that I will need to go shopping for something to wear then."

"Sounds good. Pick you up tomorrow at 8?" Foggy asked.

"I'll text you the address," she said and hung up.

Foggy stared down at the phone and smiled. It figured that after all these years, Matt would finally fulfill his duties as a wingman without even realizing it. Foggy chose to take it as a sign. Things were really over. He was ready for whatever was next.


End file.
